HC constitutes high-level study group to examine sewerage network in Kochi

The Kerala High Court has constituted a high-level study group to examine the sewerage network in Kochi, address issues pertaining to sewage treatment plants (STPs), and find a long-term, sustainable solution to the matter.

The court has directed the study group to submit a preliminary report within a month, outlining the areas that need attention.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji issued the order on a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Apartment Owners’ Apex Association (Kerala) concerning the city’s sewer network. During the hearing, the court observed that the association had filed the PIL only after the statutory authorities received notices, following the court’s call for them to perform their duties.

The court had directed the authorities concerned to take steps to prevent pollution of the Thevara-Perandoor canal, noting that untreated liquid waste from numerous apartment complexes and houses along its banks was being directly discharged into the waterway. One of the reasons cited was the alleged failure of Kochi Corporation and the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to fulfil their statutory responsibilities.

The high-level study group constituted includes the Principal Secretary of the Local Self-Government department, the Chairperson of KSPCB, the managing director of Kerala Water Authority (KWA), and the Secretary of the Corporation. The group is expected to function independently, and its report is to be submitted through the Principal Secretary. The hearing on the plea has been scheduled for October 27.

Representatives of nearly 45 of the 71 apartment complexes along the Thevara-Perandoor and Edappally canals, which were under KSPCB’s scrutiny for lacking adequate wastewater treatment facilities, had in early September submitted an undertaking seeking reasonable time to ensure compliance. The notice issued by the Board also cited a High Court order dated August 8, 2025, which had expressed serious concern over the pollution of the canals caused by the absence of proper treatment facilities in the non-compliant apartment complexes. Those with space constraints were asked to explore the feasibility of installing the plants within the existing premises.